Appressed epiphyte or rarely terrestrial; stems to 50 cm long, internodes short, 1–4 cm long, 2–2.5 cm diam.; cataphylls 15–20 cm long, persisting intact toward apex, decomposing into fibers and persisting below; petioles 40–63 cm long, 3–5 mm diam., sulcate to sharply c-shaped, sometimes 5-ribbed, sheathed 5–6.5 cm; geniculum 1.6–2.7 cm long, drying darker; blades narrowly ovate, 45–60 cm long, 16–21 cm wide, broadest at the point of petiole insertion, subcoriaceous, gradually to abruptly acuminate at apex, truncate to subcordate at base, dark green and semiglossy above, paler and matte below; midrib convex above, round-raised below, sometimes purplish and weakly striate; primary lateral veins 19–23, narrowly sunken above, convex below, arising at 43–47 degree angle, tertiary; veins prominent below, weakly raised; basal veins 2–4, free or with 2 coalesced ca 1.5 cm; collective veins arising from one of the lowermost primary lateral veins or the uppermost basal veins, 3–5 mm from the margin. Inflorescence erect; peduncle 30–45 cm long, sometimes sulcate and 5-ribbed, 1/3–2/3 as long as petioles; spathe lanceolate, green, sometimes with purplish veins, 13–20 cm long, 1.4–1.7 cm wide, erect-spreading, inserted at an angle of 45 degrees, margins meeting acutely at base; spadix 14–20 cm long, sessile, narrowly long-tapered, dark violet-purple; flowers quadrangular to rhombic, 3.5–3.2 mm diam., 7–9 per spiral; tepals 2.8–2 mm perpendicular to the axis; lateral tepals with the inner margins convex; stamens to 1.7 mm long; anthers yellowish red. Infructescence purplish, to 25 cm long, 1.5 cm diam., erect; berries 3.5–4.5 mm long, globose to obovoid, purple, sometimes longitudinally steaked with yellow-green; pericarp thin; mesocarp mucilaginous, transluscent; seeds 2–3 mm long, 1 mm wide, olive-green, 1 per locule.

Type: Ecuador. Pichincha: ENDESA reserve, Quito-Puerto Quito, km 113, 10 km N, 0°05'N, 79°02'W, Rodríguez 270 (holotype, MO-3160586; isotype, SCZ).

Carchi: 650--100 m, 1°0'N, 78°24'W, Tipaz et al. 1534 (MO). Pichincha: ENDESA reserve, Quito-Puerto Quito, km 113, 10 km N, 0°05'N, 79°02'W, Rodríguez 270 (MO, QCA), 395 (QCA). Quito-Allurquín Hwy. near Allurquín, 800--1,000 m, Madison 4039 (cultivated as Selby 77-2095).